Gaming machines, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing machines and the expectation of winning each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are most likely to be attracted to the most entertaining and exciting of the machines. Shrewd operators consequently strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting machines available because such machines attract frequent play and hence increase profitability to the operator. Accordingly, in the competitive gaming machine industry, there is a continuing need for gaming machine manufacturers to produce new types of games, or enhancements to existing games, which will attract frequent play by increasing the entertainment value and excitement for the player.
One concept originally employed to increase the entertainment value of a game is a bonus round, providing the player with a different game experience during play of the basic game. Typically, a predetermined set of symbols on the basic game triggers a bonus round. Bonus games take on a variety of themes and in many cases require the player to make choices that typically instill a feeling of control or self-destiny.
A concept often found in bonus games today is the selection of an animated character or object that potentially provides the player with a winning outcome. In many cases, the selection results in immediate feedback to the player of an award, a loss, or the completion of the bonus round. To enhance the entertainment of the bonus round, game developers have created longer series of events, but typically the player has little interaction once the initial selection has been made. An example of this might include a player choosing (from a group) an animated “partner” or “partners” that perform some feat to generate a winning outcome. While the player has the initial option of choosing this “partner”, once the round commences, the player cannot intervene and must await the outcome. This limits the feeling of control the player has on the outcome of the bonus round. A method of changing the “partner” or “partners” in the middle of the round would assist in keeping the player more involved, enhance entertainment, and present the player with a feeling of self-destiny.